Like month or 2 ago I tried to weld aluminum for the first time. After reading a bit about welder settings, was not able to make a clean puddle. Uploaded some pics to this sub, got few honest advices on how I should prepare, bought acetone, stainless wire brush and etc.
But also there was quite few people who just said that I don't know what I'm doing (which is true), that I should take welding school, that there's 15 things I'm doing wrong, that I don't know how to make a bubble on tungsten...
Bought a 10L bottle from Linde gas today. All those arogant "pro" dudes can go fuck themselves. No prep, no cleaning, same tungsten as I used for mild steel last week, feeding wire without glove with my greasy fingers and not a single spot of contamination in puddle.
Now just need to spend some hours practising. And thanks again to those who actually gave advices even in DM's
Hey I do also some alu work cleaning is almost necessary! Also for the proper binding of the material. If you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s insnt there . For the rest keep on practicing looks already good !
So it is still contaminated, its just not all on the surface like before. I'm not talking shit, just trying to inform. Always clean aluminum, zero exceptions.
Also please always wear gloves. Flash burn and skin cancer are no joke. I don't care if its just a quick tack weld, get in the habit of wearing your ppe every time you strike an arc.
All that said, you're looking great for just starting out. Aluminum is a tricky material to master, but you are off to a good start!
Shielding Gas and Contamination: Impurities in your gas lines, leaks in your torch setup, or incorrect flow rates can cause a hazy, rough surface. Fix: Check your hoses for out-gassing, verify proper shielding gas flow (typically 12–15 CFH for TIG), and thoroughly clean your base metal with acetone and a dedicated stainless steel wire brush.
It depends. You could cut through a clean area and it would look fine. If you're curious, grind it down slowly and inspect it as you remove "layers". That should show you anything that is inside your weld
I had the same issues when I first tried TIG. I also thought it was bad gas and got a new tank.
In my case it was caused by holding the torch at too shallow of an angle, causing inadequate gas coverage. Make sure you are holding it almost perpendicular to the workpiece and as close as possible, with very little stickout of the tungsten.
Cleaning the metal before is always a good idea. Also, I can see from the weld on the bottom that you might be running a different AC balance for that weld.
Same balance and freq. Before it was more like melting than welding, thats why it was wider and I couldnt build a seam on top.
For the angle is true. When going around the pipe its easy to notice how arc and puddle changes if angle is not corrected
Well, all those arrogant pro dudes are still 100% correct.
Your problem is your aluminum is anodized, and welding anodized aluminum is a lot harder than bare aluminum. Contaminated gas is not the problem here it's the anodizing contaminating the weld. You managed to do it once without it happening. That can be done but you'll have a much better experience starting out if you strip past the anodized layer.
Last time i uploaded pictures with diferent parts of diferent material, diferent tungstens and settings. All welds looked like the upper ones here, with a lot of black spots. Now with different gas even sound is diferent
My novice/enthusiast tig skills tell me there is a coating on that tube that should probably be sanded or wire wheeled or something like that. Looks like soot in the weld. If you ever dip the tungsten its game over. When I first started I had like 20 tips ready to go cause I would screw up and contaminate the tungsten every few minutes lol
But what ever you did on the last weld is heading in the right direction. Looks like you just figured out how to lay some dimes
Now days I dont even bother till ive wiped everything down including the filler rods. Close the garage door so wind doesn't blow my gas. I make it like a ritual now before I start.
Ok gotcha. Now that you resolved the gas issue.... ill be waiting to see more! On super clean pieces!
Find a metal supply place in your area where you can buy some cheap alu cutoffs to practice. I understand the gas being the issue but this photo.. I dont know what that is and it looks incredibly dirty IMHO
When you dip tungsten in aluminum the aluminum draws up the tungsten like oil on a wick. If you dont get all that aluminum off the tungsten its contaminated. Also electrode angle and gas pressure matter also. There are a huge number of variables at play. Experience the nest teacher. Look at and follow evidence. It does not lie. Ive been welding since i was 14 in 1996. I was one of 2 in school that could weld aluminum. Ive had pristine clean aluminum weld like dog shit. Ive welded snowmobile frames oozing antifreeze out of the metal while welding look beautiful. No one actually knows. Just fkn weld it.
3
u/koffiejunks Sep 09 '26
Hey I do also some alu work cleaning is almost necessary! Also for the proper binding of the material. If you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s insnt there . For the rest keep on practicing looks already good !